Steamboat Pilot & Today

Steamboat Springs — The Steamboat Storm easily defeated the Breckenridge Blast in two games last weekend at Howelsen Ice Arena.

The Storm downed the Blast, 6-1, on Feb. 22 and 7-2 on Feb. 23.

Steamboat scored five goals in the first period and one goal in the second before Breckenridge netted its first goal 1 minute into the third period.

Kelly Halpin, Sarah Katherman, Julie Worden, Marey Whelihan, Deb Rose and Lisa Wilkinson all scored goals for the Storm, while Whelihan, Marie Winter and Lisa Owen were credited with single assists. Worden contributed two assists.

Steamboat goalie Marie Dailey stopped 12 of 13 shots. The Storm had 30 shots on net in a winning effort.

In the Feb. 23 victory, Steamboat had nearly five times as many shots on goal as Breckenridge, winning by five. Halpin, usually a wing, filled in at goalie and stopped 4 of 6 shots she faced.

Steamboat fired 29 shots at Breckenridge's goalie.

Diane Letson scored the Storm's first goal off Kim Bonner's assist just 2 minutes into the game.

Susie Leeson, Patty Chovan and Rose added three more goals for Steamboat. Rose's goal came with 3 seconds left in the first period, answering a score by the Blast, to preserve the Storm's three-goal lead.

The lone goal in the second period came off the stick of a Breckenridge player, but Steamboat sealed the win in the third period with three goals.

Katherine Hartley, off an assist from Melrose Kuusinen, found the back of the net about 1 minute into the period.

Whelihan and Bonner scored the final two goals off assists from Chovan and Diane Anderson, bringing the score to 7-2.

The Storm, Steamboat's "B" women's hockey team, plays its last home regular season game Sunday at 10 a.m. when they host the Arapahoe Chill at Howelsen Ice Arena.

Steamboat will also be hosting the Women's Association of Colorado Hockey A, B1 and B2 tournaments in late March and early April.

The Storm will be part of a 12-team field taking the ice on April 11-13.